2. Deuteronomy 5:20, You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. [3]
3. What God Hates: Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. [5]
Haughty Eyes=Proud Look
Lying Tongue=Lying, speaking
falsely
Shed Innocent Blood=Murder
Devises Wicked
Schemes=Looking for ways to do evil against others and God
Rush into Evil=Seeing on Sin
in Life
False Witness=Lying in Court
Stirs Up Dissension=Lies lead
friends and family against each other and distrustful
4. What Did Jesus Say? Matthew 12:36-37, But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” [1]
When
we lie, gossip, slander and use words with an evil intent we will have to be
accountable. This is a warning of how
our words can have an negative impact on our lives. As Christians if we speak with evil in our
hearts we turn others from God and lose the respect people have for us. When we live a life with lies our hearts
become hard and begin to pull away from God.
5. Ananias and Sapphria: Acts 5:1-11, Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. [2]
5. Ananias and Sapphria: Acts 5:1-11, Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. [2]
Ananias
and his wife Sapphira could
have retained the proceeds from their sale of property, but instead they
lied, saying they had given all the money when actually they had given only a part
of the money.
The fact that believers had the right to keep their money shows that this was not Christian socialism. It was a free-will arrangement for the support of the church.[3]
The
sin Ananias and Spphira committed was not stinginess, but lying to God and God’s
people. They could have kept all the
money if they wanted, but they wanted to look better in man’s eyes. Their punishment is the same as ours if we
lie to ourselves and God on what is in our heart. If we are just wanting others to think how
good we are, but we have not really given over our life to God, we will as
Jesus said, “give an account on judgment day.”
6. Satan:
John 8:44, You belong to your father, the devil,
and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. [4]
The devil is the enemy of life and truth. By a lie he
brought spiritual and physical death to mankind (Gen. 3:4,
Adam and Eve.) He distorts truth (there is
no truth in him . . . he is a liar and the father of lies) and seeks to
lead people away from God, the Source of truth and life. [5]
The reason lying is so bad in
a persons life is that is the main tool that Satan uses to pull us away from
God. When we give into telling, living,
and believing lies we began to give in to Satan and become his follower and not
Christ’s.
7. West Point’s “Harder Right”
The following quotation is from the “Cadet
Prayer.” It is repeated every Sunday in chapel services at West Point:
“Make us choose the harder right instead of
the easier wrong, and never to be contented with half truth when whole truth
can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble
and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear
when right and truth are in jeopardy.”[6]
[3] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[5] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[6] Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes,
facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible
Communications: Garland TX
[2] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[4] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.
1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures.
Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
